Best holidays for UA upgrades
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UA 1K & 1MM/AA Gold & 1MM/HH Gold/Marriott Titanium
Posts: 2,928
Best holidays for UA upgrades
Looking to book FCO-IAD on 12/31 for 4 of us. Thinking of splitting us up 2 & 2 for better chance at upgrade. Is 12/31 a notoriously easier or worse day for Europe - US upgrades? Will book in Premium Plus (A class) and use PlusPoints for the upgrade (both wife and I are 1K). Thanks!
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,581
Looking to book FCO-IAD on 12/31 for 4 of us. Thinking of splitting us up 2 & 2 for better chance at upgrade. Is 12/31 a notoriously easier or worse day for Europe - US upgrades? Will book in Premium Plus (A class) and use PlusPoints for the upgrade (both wife and I are 1K). Thanks!
Just looking at the seatmap on UA885 for 12/31, it looks fuller than you'd ideally like to see this far out.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UA 1K & 1MM/AA Gold & 1MM/HH Gold/Marriott Titanium
Posts: 2,928
I don't know about "notoriously" but it's traditionally been a fairly low volume travel day. This year it falls on Sunday so you may have a higher than usual volume of travelers returning to the US after a European Christmas holiday.
Just looking at the seatmap on UA885 for 12/31, it looks fuller than you'd ideally like to see this far out.
Just looking at the seatmap on UA885 for 12/31, it looks fuller than you'd ideally like to see this far out.
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,581
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,581
#10
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: TX
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 735
IME travel around holidays and other big events that disrupts the regular travel patterns of business flyers can lead to lighter loads, but as pointed out above how they fall in the calendar matters as well as destination. So while overall loads would be more volatile it seems that this year leaving earlier or later would up your chances more than splitting in 2 (splitting in 2 across two separate flights would be ideal to try and clear everyone)
#14
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,374
My wife and I often travel on Christmas Eve and NYE -- from the US to the EU -- upgrades have always been much easier.... The reverse is always much tougher -- just our experience....